Pianoforte-action.



N0. 762,B64. PATENTED JUNE 14, 1904.

W. A. EARTHY.

PIANOPORTE ACTION. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29, 1901.

N0 MODEL.

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@W )g' amy UNITED STATES Patented June 14, 1904.

PATENT rrrca.

PlANOFORTE-ACTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 762,864,

dated June 14, 1904.

Application filetl November 29, 1901. Serial No. 84,105. (No model.)

To all 1117mm, it inmy concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM ALFRED EARTI-IY, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of \Valthamstow, in the county of Essex, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pianoforte-Actions, (for which I have obtained a patent in Great Britain, No. 10,157, dated May 16, 1901,) of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to improvements in pianoforte-actions, the object being by an improved arrangement of the parts to provide a simplified action and to render the use of springs in connection with the same unnecessary and to provide novel and efficient means for assisting or efiecting the escapements, as hereinafter set forth.

In order that this invention may be fully understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of the essential parts of the mechanism for striking one note, the rest of the action being merely duplicates of these parts. Fig. 2 is a side view illustrating an alternative method of operating the damper when arranged above the striking-hammer. Fig. 3 shows details hereinafter referred to. Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate an alternative method of effecting the escapement, as hereinafter set forth. Fig. 6 shows a moditied arrangement for the adjustment of the lifting-rods.

According to this invention and as shown in Fig. 1 the hammer a is secured to the hammer-butt a" and the latter pivoted to the hammer-rail o The hammer-butt is rigidly connccted to a jointed lifting-rod 7), sufficiently weighted, as at Z), preferably by the insertion of a plug of lead or other suitable material, the lower extremity of the lifting-rod being secured to a wire 7 which is screwthreaded at its extremity and carries an adjustable button 5 normally resting on a step a, formed at the extremity of the key a. The damper (Z is also pivoted to the hammer-rail and is operated through the medium of the pivoted section (1, weighted at its outer extremity (Z and connected with the stem [1 of l the damper 1? by means of a wire I! entering the recessed extremity of the damper-stem J". The hinged section (Z' is lifted by the key 0 through the medium of the parts (Z and 1, while the said pivoted section I? is provided with a hole or perforation (Z Fig. 3, through which the wire extension I) of the jointed lifting-rod 7/ passes.

The operation of this action is as follows: Upon the key 0 being depressed in the usual way the lifting-rod 7) is raised by the end of the key 0 and the hammer a driven against the wire, causing the note to be sounded, while simultaneously with this movement the outer extremity of the pivoted section (1 is lifted through the medium of the parts (Z and IZ", thereby turning the wire II and operating the damper-stem (1 so as to withdraw the damper (1 from contact with the wire on. The escapement is effected by the button 7f at the extremity of the wire 7/ of the lifting-rod 7) slipping off the step c, which allows the hammer u to fall back slightly, where it may be held in check solong as the key 0 is depressed,

the necessary backward movement of the wire 6 for causing the button 71 to slip off the step at the required moment being effected by the pivoted section d, which as it is lifted for operating the damper drives the wire 7/ backward for this purpose, the two positions of the wire being shown in detail in Fig. 3.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 2 the section g, carrying the damper r], is directly connected to the hinged section j by means of a straight wire q, furnished at each extremity with buttons q, screwing thereon and by means of which adjustment may be effected. The hinged section 7' is lifted by the key 0 through the medium of the wire 11, which is furnished at its extremity with an adjustable button vv, while the escapement is effected by the wire extension 71 of the hammerlifting rod 7), (not shown in this view.) passing through a hole or perforation in the lifting-section j in a similar manner as described with reference to Fig. 1.

Figs. 4: and 5 are two views of an alternative method of effecting or assisting the escapement, which consists in arranging in front of the hammer-lifting rodsb a horizontal strip or bar p, through which passes a series of adjustable screws Z, so arranged that in the normal position of the hammer-lifting rods 5 the extremities of the adjustable screws Zare just out of contact with the lifting-rods Z). The effect of this is that as soon as each lifting-rod b is raised by its corresponding key it is brought against the extremity of the screw Z, which forms a turning-point or fulcrumupon which the lower part of the lifting-rod turns, the part of the lifting-rod above the screw Z turning toward the front, while the part below the screw Z, consisting principally of the wire extension 72 turns toward the back, so as to cause the button 7)" to fall from the step 0' onto the check-cloth 0 In this arrangement the wire extension 6 of the lifting-rod 6 passes through a slot 111, formed in a strip or fixed section m. The slot m does not in any way assist the escapement, but is merely intended to prevent side movement of the wire extension while a suitably-arranged spring, such as a, is employed for bringing the button 72 back onto the step 0 when the key 0 is released.

AlthoughI prefer to employ weighted parts to bring the hammers and dampers back to their normal positions, yet I wish it to be understood that I do not restrict myself to the use of Weighted parts, as suitably-arranged springs may be employed for this purpose.

In some cases the extremity of each key a may be provided with the usual arrangement for effecting the adjustment of the lifting-rod instead of providing the wire extension 7) with a button 5 screwing thereon for this purpose, or, referring to Fig. 6, a screw 0 may be inserted in the extremity of each key 0 beneath the check-cloth 0 so that by raising or lowering the same the whole of the hammers may be caused to fall back to a uniform position when at check.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a piano-action, the combination of a lifting-rod, a wire extension forming the extremity thereof, an adjustable button attached to the end of said wire, a pivoted section having a hole therein through which the said wire passes and engages therewith, a stepped support carried by the end of the key upon which the said button rests, substantially as described and illustrated herein.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of November, 1901. I

WILLIAM A. EARTH Y.

Witnesses:

PERCY R. JOLDRING, CHARLES H. Braces. 

